Cloud backup for Cloud backup!
Discussion
Hello everyone,
A question - it occurred to me the other day when having a conversation that a lot of us use various cloud backups to store everything - so dropbox, google cloud, samsung and so on. When you have accumulated a few years worth of photos/videos/documents etc it starts to get harder to back everything up locally espicially when you change devices and so on, so is there a cloud backup service that backs up the cloud at all?
Or should we just put faith in the big corps who store our data?
It was merely the thought that if the data was lost, people would lose all their photos, family memories, documents etc with no hard copies - so it raised a point I didn't know the answer to, be interesting to know what people do.
PS - Stuck it here in Computers as I thought it made sense - but if not apologies Mr or Mrs Moderator!
A question - it occurred to me the other day when having a conversation that a lot of us use various cloud backups to store everything - so dropbox, google cloud, samsung and so on. When you have accumulated a few years worth of photos/videos/documents etc it starts to get harder to back everything up locally espicially when you change devices and so on, so is there a cloud backup service that backs up the cloud at all?
Or should we just put faith in the big corps who store our data?
It was merely the thought that if the data was lost, people would lose all their photos, family memories, documents etc with no hard copies - so it raised a point I didn't know the answer to, be interesting to know what people do.
PS - Stuck it here in Computers as I thought it made sense - but if not apologies Mr or Mrs Moderator!
A good rule of thumb is to keep at least three copies of everything in different locations. Also, be aware of what the characteristics of each store is as 'backup' means different things to different people.
Personally I have:
(1) Primary document storage is to my local drive
(2) This is automatically replicated to Google Drive. This isn't a "backup" as such, it's just an easy way to create a bit of redundancy but mainly to have a secondary copy that I can reference from anywhere
(3) My local documents folder is replicated to my NAS
(4) My NAS is backed up to another online storage provider, which retains 30 versions of all files indefinitely
All pretty easy to set up and just works in the background without me having to do anything.
Personally I have:
(1) Primary document storage is to my local drive
(2) This is automatically replicated to Google Drive. This isn't a "backup" as such, it's just an easy way to create a bit of redundancy but mainly to have a secondary copy that I can reference from anywhere
(3) My local documents folder is replicated to my NAS
(4) My NAS is backed up to another online storage provider, which retains 30 versions of all files indefinitely
All pretty easy to set up and just works in the background without me having to do anything.
NickCW said:
What about things like Photos from mobile devices, as these backup automatically to the Cloud in the first instance?
Depends if you opted in for it. More often it’s a sync, not really a backup. Will cover you if you smash your phone and get another but won’t protect you if you accidentally delete all your photos. colin79666 said:
Depends if you opted in for it. More often it’s a sync, not really a backup. Will cover you if you smash your phone and get another but won’t protect you if you accidentally delete all your photos.
Most will keep a deleted file in a bin for some time so there’s some protection. I know not everyone will share my sentiments on privacy/is that bothered, but one thing to take into account with the big brands is that they have the private keys to decrypt your files (if they are even encrypted on the server and not just in transit).
They also retain all your data even if you delete it, and actively share it with members of five eyes (Australia, Canada US etc.).
Again I know some people really won't care, but if you want to use Cloud storage then I'd be looking at a provider that is private and is based somewhere with sensible privacy laws such as Switzerland.
They also retain all your data even if you delete it, and actively share it with members of five eyes (Australia, Canada US etc.).
Again I know some people really won't care, but if you want to use Cloud storage then I'd be looking at a provider that is private and is based somewhere with sensible privacy laws such as Switzerland.
It's not really a "cloud" is it? it's a server in a data centre. So depends what the policy of the corporation is - do they backup their servers that your data is stored on. I don't know the answer. I currently store stuff on MS One Drive which is then copied to Google Drive. Really need an external drive copy at home as well.
The big corps (amazon, google, microsoft and apple) can be very well relied on not to accidentally lose your data and keep it very secure.
Your biggest risk is losing access to it because they decide they no longer want you as a customer.
I go with a cloud first strategy, all my data on devices is ephemeral, the master copy of everything is in google drive.
My google account periodically exports all my data to microsoft onedrive every 2 months so should google ever decide to kick me off because of some random terms and conditions violation, like speaking to the google assistant in a harsh tone.
Your biggest risk is losing access to it because they decide they no longer want you as a customer.
I go with a cloud first strategy, all my data on devices is ephemeral, the master copy of everything is in google drive.
My google account periodically exports all my data to microsoft onedrive every 2 months so should google ever decide to kick me off because of some random terms and conditions violation, like speaking to the google assistant in a harsh tone.
This thread was great timing!
I have a small biz, and the renewal for carbonite has just come up.
Debating if it's worth it?
- Currently have a back up of the main PC drives on a drive in another PC
- Also a backup of the PC to a Nas in another building,
- Also the main drive is synced to one-drive as well.
(I even have a portable drive I take snap shots every 6 months or so).
I think writing this out has convinced me I probably don't need it?
I have a small biz, and the renewal for carbonite has just come up.
Debating if it's worth it?
- Currently have a back up of the main PC drives on a drive in another PC
- Also a backup of the PC to a Nas in another building,
- Also the main drive is synced to one-drive as well.
(I even have a portable drive I take snap shots every 6 months or so).
I think writing this out has convinced me I probably don't need it?
There've been a few threads about this and there are a lot of opinions and options out there.
I've had good success with - for small businesses / home users:
1) Storage on local devices - encrypted with Bitlocker or Veracrypt etc.
2) Backed up to a NAS device.
3) 2 Synced up to Backblaze.
Key things - ensure original and backup storage locations are encrypted, and test the decryption and restore of the data!
I've had good success with - for small businesses / home users:
1) Storage on local devices - encrypted with Bitlocker or Veracrypt etc.
2) Backed up to a NAS device.
3) 2 Synced up to Backblaze.
Key things - ensure original and backup storage locations are encrypted, and test the decryption and restore of the data!
Interesting to see all the different options and approaches, not familiar with Carbonite / Backblaze and the pros/cons though tbh?
e-honda said:
The big corps (amazon, google, microsoft and apple) can be very well relied on not to accidentally lose your data and keep it very secure.
Your biggest risk is losing access to it because they decide they no longer want you as a customer.
I go with a cloud first strategy, all my data on devices is ephemeral, the master copy of everything is in google drive.
My google account periodically exports all my data to microsoft onedrive every 2 months so should google ever decide to kick me off because of some random terms and conditions violation, like speaking to the google assistant in a harsh tone.
This sounds like a neat solution espicially as it sounds automated - is that the case?Your biggest risk is losing access to it because they decide they no longer want you as a customer.
I go with a cloud first strategy, all my data on devices is ephemeral, the master copy of everything is in google drive.
My google account periodically exports all my data to microsoft onedrive every 2 months so should google ever decide to kick me off because of some random terms and conditions violation, like speaking to the google assistant in a harsh tone.
I used to have stuff stored on google drive and USB sticks. Just recently got rid of the USB sticks and just left with everything on google drive. I even bought some more storage, so have filled up 155gb of 200 with pictures, documents etc.
Much easier and can access from anywhere without having to worry about losing USB drives. I imagine there are backups of backups anyway, so if there was some big server outage, things could be restored.
I stand to be corrected though!
Much easier and can access from anywhere without having to worry about losing USB drives. I imagine there are backups of backups anyway, so if there was some big server outage, things could be restored.
I stand to be corrected though!
James_N said:
I used to have stuff stored on google drive and USB sticks. Just recently got rid of the USB sticks and just left with everything on google drive. I even bought some more storage, so have filled up 155gb of 200 with pictures, documents etc.
Much easier and can access from anywhere without having to worry about losing USB drives. I imagine there are backups of backups anyway, so if there was some big server outage, things could be restored.
Server outages aren't what you want to be worried about with these cloud services. There are really two scenarios that you need to guard against:Much easier and can access from anywhere without having to worry about losing USB drives. I imagine there are backups of backups anyway, so if there was some big server outage, things could be restored.
(1) Total loss of your account. If you lose the password and can't recover it, or for some reason are kicked off the service. Keeping a full copy elsewhere is an effective hedge against this.
(2) Accidental deletion or corruption of a file. This also includes ransomware that encrypts your files. In this case an automatically-replicated copy might not be enough so you need to make sure that you have the ability to recover old versions of files that were made pre-corruption.
If you cover yourself against those two then your files should be pretty safe against anything short of an actual zombie apocalypse.
Excuse my simple brain here, but I have recently moved to an iPhone from an Samsung where I had an SD card installed. I use my phone for a lot of videos, using a lot of memory. I'm a bit of a chimp when it comes to tech, so apologies of this is a really simple question......
Recording video today, my iPhone is now full. It is a 128GB model and it says that 95GB of that is taken up by photos and videos. I pay for 2TB of iCloud storage, and everything seems to be on there, by I'm worried if I start deleting off my phone (and I assume I just need to sit and delete everything manually?) then I've lost it from iCloud too. Is that correct? Am I being really thick? Sorry, I'm an old dinosaur and just need some help with this..... I need to keep the videos and photos for work, so can I just delete them from my phone once I've transferred them to iCloud or my Mac?
Recording video today, my iPhone is now full. It is a 128GB model and it says that 95GB of that is taken up by photos and videos. I pay for 2TB of iCloud storage, and everything seems to be on there, by I'm worried if I start deleting off my phone (and I assume I just need to sit and delete everything manually?) then I've lost it from iCloud too. Is that correct? Am I being really thick? Sorry, I'm an old dinosaur and just need some help with this..... I need to keep the videos and photos for work, so can I just delete them from my phone once I've transferred them to iCloud or my Mac?
deckster said:
James_N said:
I used to have stuff stored on google drive and USB sticks. Just recently got rid of the USB sticks and just left with everything on google drive. I even bought some more storage, so have filled up 155gb of 200 with pictures, documents etc.
Much easier and can access from anywhere without having to worry about losing USB drives. I imagine there are backups of backups anyway, so if there was some big server outage, things could be restored.
Server outages aren't what you want to be worried about with these cloud services. There are really two scenarios that you need to guard against:Much easier and can access from anywhere without having to worry about losing USB drives. I imagine there are backups of backups anyway, so if there was some big server outage, things could be restored.
(1) Total loss of your account. If you lose the password and can't recover it, or for some reason are kicked off the service. Keeping a full copy elsewhere is an effective hedge against this.
(2) Accidental deletion or corruption of a file. This also includes ransomware that encrypts your files. In this case an automatically-replicated copy might not be enough so you need to make sure that you have the ability to recover old versions of files that were made pre-corruption.
If you cover yourself against those two then your files should be pretty safe against anything short of an actual zombie apocalypse.
Result was loosing everything.
MrB. said:
Excuse my simple brain here, but I have recently moved to an iPhone from an Samsung where I had an SD card installed. I use my phone for a lot of videos, using a lot of memory. I'm a bit of a chimp when it comes to tech, so apologies of this is a really simple question......
Recording video today, my iPhone is now full. It is a 128GB model and it says that 95GB of that is taken up by photos and videos. I pay for 2TB of iCloud storage, and everything seems to be on there, by I'm worried if I start deleting off my phone (and I assume I just need to sit and delete everything manually?) then I've lost it from iCloud too. Is that correct? Am I being really thick? Sorry, I'm an old dinosaur and just need some help with this..... I need to keep the videos and photos for work, so can I just delete them from my phone once I've transferred them to iCloud or my Mac?
I've just spent a rather shocking five minutes googling this and can't quite believe the answer. Which is, you can't do this. Not really. The answers online appear to be either (a) don't use iCloud, or (b) buy our sRecording video today, my iPhone is now full. It is a 128GB model and it says that 95GB of that is taken up by photos and videos. I pay for 2TB of iCloud storage, and everything seems to be on there, by I'm worried if I start deleting off my phone (and I assume I just need to sit and delete everything manually?) then I've lost it from iCloud too. Is that correct? Am I being really thick? Sorry, I'm an old dinosaur and just need some help with this..... I need to keep the videos and photos for work, so can I just delete them from my phone once I've transferred them to iCloud or my Mac?
tty file transfer app which will magically solve all your problems.I am an Android guy and it's really easy (menu icon, "Delete from device"). Or, even easier, "Free up space", which will automatically remove from the device all those photos/videos that are safely backed up in the cloud.
But with iCloud, unless I'm tragically misinformed, this just isn't possible. Which is...incredible. Somebody tell me I'm wrong?
deckster said:
MrB. said:
Excuse my simple brain here, but I have recently moved to an iPhone from an Samsung where I had an SD card installed. I use my phone for a lot of videos, using a lot of memory. I'm a bit of a chimp when it comes to tech, so apologies of this is a really simple question......
Recording video today, my iPhone is now full. It is a 128GB model and it says that 95GB of that is taken up by photos and videos. I pay for 2TB of iCloud storage, and everything seems to be on there, by I'm worried if I start deleting off my phone (and I assume I just need to sit and delete everything manually?) then I've lost it from iCloud too. Is that correct? Am I being really thick? Sorry, I'm an old dinosaur and just need some help with this..... I need to keep the videos and photos for work, so can I just delete them from my phone once I've transferred them to iCloud or my Mac?
I've just spent a rather shocking five minutes googling this and can't quite believe the answer. Which is, you can't do this. Not really. The answers online appear to be either (a) don't use iCloud, or (b) buy our sRecording video today, my iPhone is now full. It is a 128GB model and it says that 95GB of that is taken up by photos and videos. I pay for 2TB of iCloud storage, and everything seems to be on there, by I'm worried if I start deleting off my phone (and I assume I just need to sit and delete everything manually?) then I've lost it from iCloud too. Is that correct? Am I being really thick? Sorry, I'm an old dinosaur and just need some help with this..... I need to keep the videos and photos for work, so can I just delete them from my phone once I've transferred them to iCloud or my Mac?
tty file transfer app which will magically solve all your problems.I am an Android guy and it's really easy (menu icon, "Delete from device"). Or, even easier, "Free up space", which will automatically remove from the device all those photos/videos that are safely backed up in the cloud.
But with iCloud, unless I'm tragically misinformed, this just isn't possible. Which is...incredible. Somebody tell me I'm wrong?
I currently have 4 cloud services for various backups, along with my local computer and NAS(s).
- pCloud (lifetime 500GB account) for my main documents etc, which also has a subset of the most important files/docs synced to Dropbox (free, but I have a reasonable amount of space due to referrals etc). pCloud also offers an encrypted folder for sensitive items and they do NOT have keys to this to decrypt it.
- Backblaze B2 using Duplicati to encrypt and upload various folders from my NAS, which includes the files from pCloud/Dropbox. This costs very, very little a month and is much cheaper than AWS S3 etc.
- Crashplan Pro to store everything on my NAS as there is no increasing cost based storage on used, it is a flat fee. This basically uploads from a single large 10TB drive sitting in a spare bay in one NAS that all my files etc are replicated to and then sent to Crashplan.
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